Sony’s Walkman goes the way of the 8-track one day before the iPod’s anniversary

Attention all lo-fi indie bands that think making cassettes is the new pressing records: Sony has decided to pull the plug on your hip “new” operation and phase out their Walkman cassette player. And — the ultimate sting — their decision to do so comes one day before the iPod’s anniversary! Somewhere, Steve Jobs is cackling and bathing in a pool of money, Scrooge McDuck-style. I guess it’s time for these bands featured on Altered Zones to come up with a new merchandise ploy to harness that 80s nostalgia. May I suggest screen-printed shoulder pads or leg warmers?

In case you weren’t aware, Mogwai are way more hardcore than you could ever hope to be. They’ve decided to underscore this fact on their new album, which is titled Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, and will probably be just as cheery as the title leads you to believe it might be. The album is due February 14, 2011 on Rock Action Records in the UK and February 15 via Sub Pop in the US.

And if you’re still hungry for more Mogwai after 10 new pulverizing tracks, there is an option for you, the post-rock glutton: a bonus CD will be included in a limited-edition version of Hardcore that holds within it “The Singing Mountain,” a 26-minute composition originally recorded to accompany an art installation. Naturally, the installation was called “Monument for Forgotten Future.”

Last Thursday evening, October 21st, driving his young daughter Anna home after picking her up from daycare, our co-worker Andy Kotowicz was involved in a terrible car accident that, so incredibly sadly, proved fatal. In what qualifies as nothing short of miraculous and definitively heroic, his daughter was pulled from the remains of the car, while it was on fire, by a local business owner who witnessed the accident. Though this same person tried and was unable to rescue Andy, I can think of no greater favor to our friend than saving his daughter’s life. And, in some small measure of thanks, we will all be eating as many Rizzo’s French Dip sandwiches as we can hold for a very long time. “Thank you” seems ridiculously inadequate, but thank you. Thank you.

Andy was under care at Harborview Medical Center in a coma until Saturday evening when he was taken off life support in the company of his immediate family. He was an organ donor and a recipient for his kidneys was found very soon after his passing. This is a small indication of the kind of guy he was.

Hot damn. If anyone out there is still even keeping count of the feathers in the cap (or in their case, feathers in the spooky Native American headdress) that keep getting overnight UPS’ed to Animal Collective HQ faster than their full-time salaried administrative assistants can process them, then chalk up another one on the big board: the venerable party-starters at All Tomorrow’s Parties have just announced on their website that Avey, Panda, and the whole lovable gang will headline and curate the one and only ATP festival taking place in May 2011! Mark your calendars, folks. AncoTP is going down at Butlins Holiday Centre in Minehead, England next May 13-15. And guess what? They’re bringing a bunch of their asshole friends to the party.

Says ATP promoter Barry Hogan: “I always wondered what kind of mixtape Animal Collective would put together, so we are really stoked that they are climbing into the curating hot seat at Butlins next May.” Well, aside from The Animal Collectives themselves, the bill is already stocked with the likes of Gang Gang Dance, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Broadcast, Black Dice, Meat Puppets (performing Up on the Sun), The Frogs (performing It’s Only Right & Natural), I.U.D., Omar-S, Prince Rama, Spectrum, Dent May, Group Doueh, The Brothers Unconnected, Deradoorian, Zomby, Vladislav Delay, and Sublime Frequencies DJs and films. And those are just the first-round draft picks! Many more will be rolled out soon. Tickets for this bonanza go on sale this Friday, October 29 from ATP’s website. Maybe buy a pair for your ol’ pal Nobodaddy while you’re there?

In other news, did anyone hear about how Animal Collective single-handedly rescued a bunch of trapped Chilean miners?

Yesterday, a federal court in New York ruled that file-sharing service LimeWire is to close its doors for the copyright infringement findings of last May. This ends four years of legal struggle between LimeWire founder Mark Gorton and the RIAA, who claim that LimeWire is in part responsible for the massive decline in music sales over the last 10 years. The extent of LimeWire’s damages to the recording industry will be determined by the court in January, although Judge Kimba Wood says that they will probably be “well beyond” what the company can afford.

LimeWire issued a statement saying, “While this is not our ideal path, we’re working with the music industry to move forward.” Maybe they’ll be able to establish a subscription-based service — nobody doesn’t want to sign up and pay for something like that. Meanwhile, you’ll have to borrow that copy of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot from your dormmate down the hall, if you can’t get it from Scour or Audiogalaxy.

Holy jeez, what are any of you doing reading music news on this here music website? NBA Jam is out for Wii! If I have to do one more thing in my life that isn’t playing NBA Jam, things like eating and sleeping and writing stories for Tiny Mix Tapes, I will scream. Scream “Slamma Jamma!” that is. Gonna take it to the hole with my boy Detlef Schrempf.

When my Jam Fever (a recognized medical condition) subsides, perhaps then I’ll have time for a new album by Dutch punk legends The Ex. As the jam is awfully strong in me, I’d reckon that won’t happen until sometime around January 25. Rather convenient, since The Ex’s new record Catch My Shoe comes out that very day via the band’s own Ex Records. The record will mark the band’s 25th CD/LP release (EXCLAMATION POINTS) on their own label, as well as their 123rd release (EVEN BIGGER EVEN MORE EXCLAMATION POINTS) overall as a band.

That’s quite the body of work, but you’ve got to remember, The Ex have been around for a good 30 years now. They’ve had a bit of time to put out more than a bit of work. But! Everything’s not the same in ol’ Ex town. Catch My Shoe marks a pretty big change, being that it is their first album with new singer Arnold de Boer. Original singer G.W. Sok left the band last year, probably because he heard about NBA Jam.